A Storm Of Temptation
by Dutchman89
Summary: Devil Wears Prada  Miranda's younger brother decides to drop by. He manages to bring his sister and her assistant a Hell of a lot closer and falls for Nigel in the process. Slash Femslash, better summary inside. AndyXMiranda, NigelXOMC
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Storm Of Temptation 

**Author: **Slashydutchie

**Rating: **R

**Pairing: **Miranda/Andy, Nigel/OMC

**Genre: **Humor/Romance

**Summary: **Miranda's annoying little brother (from her perspective anyway) decides to drop by for a month or so. In the process he manages to bring his sister and her assistant a Hell of a lot closer and falls for Nigel in the process (because Nigel deserves more action, dammit). Yes, he truly is annoying… ly quick at the uptake. Will contain OOC-ness from Miranda, because that's what siblings do to you. Slash and Femslash, based entirely on the movie, since I have read the book (before it became hyped) and thought it sucked. Slight AU, obviously, Andy didn't leave in Paris.

**Disclaimer: **Only Maxwell and the plot are mine, everything you recognize belongs to other people.

**A/N: **This was inspired by a bit of the lyrics from "Holiday in Spain" by BlØf and Counting Crows:

She's my angel  
She's a little better than the one that used to be with me  
Cause she liked to scream at me  
Man, it's a miracle that she's not living up in a tree

For some reason this made me think of various scenes. As for his little nickname for her, it both suits her personality and the first real use (that I know of) of 'Miranda' as a first name was by Shakespeare in 'The Tempest'.

Aside from all this, it's called football, not soccer. I'm not going to use another term simply because silly Americans went and stole rugby, modified it and then proceeded to name a sport mainly played with your hands 'football'. This is relevant, since there is mention of Max' love for footballshirts.

He had jumped the gate… he had jumped the bloody entrance gate, not even bothering to see whether or not he'd be buzzed through and was apparently oblivious to the people staring at him. Andrea was one of the people looking at the man in wonder, something that became increasingly easy since he was heading her way.

It wasn't an unattractive man by any means, good-looking and probably somewhere in his thirties. But, with his longish blond hair, rough stubble and, of course, his clothing made him stand out between the Elias-Clark employees. For example, he was wearing jeans that didn't look worn because they were made that way, they looked like that simply because this man could apparently bear to wear them more than once. His sneakers had probably been white at some point, but it was evident that the big city had managed to get hold of them and had returned them looking gray-ish. Then there was the shirt… it was a Newcastle United football shirt. The bag slung over his shoulder was the only remotely acceptable thing on him.

The worst part was that he actually addressed her… so it was already her fault in the eyes of her colleagues. "Hey. Do you know where I can find Miranda?" For a few moments Andy just gaped. THIS was looking for MIRANDA?! No, it had to be a different Miranda. Maybe there was someone in the cleaning department with that name. "Er… Miranda who?" He actually laughed out loud at this. "The Miranda most people here spend the main part of the day hiding from. Who else?" He shot her a cheeky grin, his blue eyes sparkling as if there was some delightful joke only he got.

Before Andrea managed to get out another word the 'ping' of the elevator sounded, the doors sliding open to reveal the topic of conversation herself. This time there was no mistaking in the delight in the man's eyes. "Storm!" This obviously took Miranda by surprise, stopping her in mid-breeze. After a few moments of simply staring at the man in utter shock, she took an action that was so unexpected it wasn't even on Andrea's 'Things Miranda would never, ever do'-list. She grabbed the front of his shirt and bodily dragged the blonde into the elevator with her. "Get in here, you! That shirt might upset my entire staff!" It was only then that she noticed her assistant. "Ahn-draya, go get Nigel… tell him it's an emergency." It took a few seconds before the words filtered into Andy's mind, since she was rather busy gaping at the man who's only reaction was to huff, then pout and mumble something that sounded distinctly like 'Bitch'. Obviously she was going crazy because, as the elevator doors closed, she thought she heard Miranda's voice stating "You bet."

Oh, right… fetch Nigel... that was a lot easier on the brain than ponder this… whatever it was.

A few minutes later she ran into the office, Nigel in tow, to find the man sitting in her chair, his feet propped up on the desk. He was eating something that could only be described as a bag of paprika potato chips. "Hope you don't mind, she won't let me into her office. Afraid my lack of style will contaminate it or something like that." He shrugged and offered her the bag. "You eat?" Andy, shocked as she was by his utter carelessness around Miranda, could only nod dumbly and accepted.

Nigel, on the other hand just stared at the man with an expression that was a sort of mix between 'Oh my God, he's hot!' and 'Oh my God, what is he wearing?!', but mainly just got stuck at 'Oh my God!'. "Er… who ARE you?" The man rolled his eyes at this. "Am I such an embarrassment my existence is being denied by now?" he yelled in the general direction of Miranda's office before putting the bag aside and standing. "Maxwell Priestly, nice to meet you. Call me Max, everyone does. Well, everyone except…" he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the glass doors. "Obviously," he finished.

This left both Nigel and Andy gaping at him. It felt like a long time before Andrea managed to find her voice. "Priest…ly?" she asked, as if in doubt of her hearing. He nodded, but didn't get a chance to say anything because Miranda returned. "Nigel, take my brother and fix him up." This time, even Nigel didn't comply immediately. "Your bro…" "That's all."

Maxwell however wasn't shut up this easily. "I apologize on behalf of the family for any damage you may have suffered…" he commented dryly and if Andy didn't know better she could've sworn she heard Miranda snort as she entered her office.

"Well, come along, then…" Nigel managed, getting down to business seemed easiest here. Besides, he might be able to pump this brother for some info. It was the next best thing, since him simply being HER brother had made pumping him in general kind of a non-option. Max shrugged once again and simply followed him.

"Just so you know, I'm not losing the shirt," Maxwell announced upon entering the closet, making Nigel stop in his tracks. "What? But the shirt is the worst part! No offence, Mister Priestly, sir…" Once again, Max had an eye-rolling moment. "I thought I told you to call me 'Max'? It's my sister people are terrified of, not me. As for the shirt, I'm sure you can work around it. If not, you'll have to wrestle it off me and I have no intention of cooperating." For a few moments, Nigel wondered whether he could get away with it. Then he took in Maxwell's entire personality and decided he probably could.

"Fine… give me that damn shirt!" With those words he promptly pounced on the other man, who clearly hadn't anticipated this and was lucky he was standing in front of some sort of huge ottoman, because he promptly fell back onto it with a loud cry of "Hey!" And so it was that, watched by a small crowd of Clackers, Nigel literally proceeded to wrestle the shirt from Miranda's laughing brother. He succeeded, even though Max was obviously larger and stronger, and ended up straddling the other man as he triumphantly held the shirt in the air.

Maxwell made some ineffective grabs at the shirt, but then gave in, resting his hands on Nigel's hips instead. "So… I guess you won, huh?" he smiled up at the other man and Nigel nodded as he tossed the offending black and white garment aside. He was in the process of leaning down, intent on shutting the other up even if he'd have to make the sacrifice of using his own tongue as a gag, before recalling exactly who he was dealing with and making a hasty retreat. If he hadn't rushed to get the blonde some new clothes he might have noticed the disappointment on Max' face, not that it would make that much of a difference. "Well, come on, you can't walk around like this either, even though it's an improvement." Heaving a sigh, the youngest Priestly obliged.

Serena had just finished relating the story of what had happened in the Closet to Emily and Andrea simply couldn't contain herself. "He did THAT to Miranda's brother?!" she exclaimed, wondering whether her friend had lost his mind. Now it was the two other women's turn to be shocked. "Miranda's what?!"

Right on cue, Maxwell entered, a beaming Nigel right behind him. "Andy, tell him he looks fabulous!" Andrea gave the man a once-over and nodded. "Max, you look fabulous! Great job, Nigel!" The blonde truly looked great. His hair had been somewhat tamed, he was wearing what Andy recognized to be the new Calvin Klein jacket over a plain white shirt and this time his jeans were meant to look faded. "Well, then let's put it to the test…" with those words, Maxwell walked over to the glass door of Miranda's office, completely ignoring the stares from both Emily and Serena. "Can I come in now, Storm?"

This time, he was subjected to a much more critical once-over before Miranda nodded her assent. "Good, because I wouldn't have cared if you said 'no' after all that I have been through." Miranda's huff could be heard clearly by the four in the next room. "You make it sound like you've been tortured instead of styled." As if to prove a point, Maxwell lifted his shirt. "He used wax, Storm… WAX."

Emily stared at the glass in shock. "Did she just laugh?" Andy nodded. "It would appear so, yes. Now Nigel, what's this about you pouncing Miranda's brother?" The man had the decency to look embarrassed. "Ah… so you heard about that, huh?" All three women in the room nodded. "Well… it really isn't any of your business, is it? It just sort of… happened. No, no, I mean… nothing happened! It was just… a hideous shirt. Really, I had to. For the sake of good taste and all that." Andrea couldn't help but laugh, it was clear her friend had developed a crush in record-speed. "Of course, Nigel…" At this the man put on his best hurt-face. "Well, Andrea Sachs, if even you don't believe me, I shall be off!" He didn't even give her a chance to reply and simply walked out of the office leaving, in a rare moment of solidarity, all three women there in stitches.

After about half an hour Miranda's voice came from the office. "Ahn-draya!" Andy practically ran in. "Yes, Miranda?" "Ahn-draya, I'll need you to entertain my brother for the afternoon. It's simply impossible to get any work done around him." It wasn't difficult to see why, since Maxwell was sitting on top of Miranda's desk. The most frightening part was that he was apparently getting away with it. "Yes, Miranda." Max sighed and jumped from the desk. "Fine, I'll go with your little favourite. See yah later, Storm." He planted a brotherly kiss on Miranda's forehead and was out of the office before she had a chance to react. Andy knew then and there that following him was the best course of action.

After they'd entered the elevator, she couldn't contain herself anymore. "What did you mean by 'little favourite'?" Max barked a laugh. "As if you haven't noticed you are… what is your actual name, by the way? Storm never calls anyone what they want to be called." Andrea shook her head. "Andrea Sachs, but just call me Andy. And no, I haven't noticed, so if you'd care to elaborate?"

Of course, Andrea had noticed some things. Ever since Paris Miranda seemed… different. A bit less unpleasant, perhaps, but that wasn't a reason to be called 'little favourite', was it? On the other hand, this WAS Miranda Priestly… her not being entirely horrible to someone could be described as favouritism.

"Well, if you insist… I've known her for quite a long time. She actually bothers to give you some sort of explanation, she trusted you to keep me from destroying the city and her reputation, I didn't even get yelled at for feeding you… face it, Andy, my sis likes you." Andrea wasn't quite sure how to interpret the grin Maxwell gave her along with that final statement. Did he mean Miranda liked Andy, as in, Miranda could stand to be around her or did he mean she LIKED her… as in, she wants to ravish her… multiple times.

It wasn't as if Andy had never thought about the latter. Miranda was by far the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen and well, without Nate… she'd just contributed her fantasies to lack of a man to fantasise about. But, if it were to actually become an option… that was an entirely different matter. Every part of Andy (except the common sense bit that insisted it was her boss and that she didn't really fancy women and that it was Miranda and thus wrong) thought it would be a very good matter indeed.

Max interrupted her thoughts. "Let's go see a show or something. I'm partial to Phantom of the Opera."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** A Storm Of Temptation (2/?)

**Author: **Slashydutchie

**Rating: **R

**Pairing: **Miranda/Andy, Nigel/OMC

**Genre: **Humor/Romance

**Summary: **Miranda's annoying little brother (from her perspective anyway) decides to drop by for a month or so. In the process he manages to bring his sister and her assistant a Hell of a lot closer and falls for Nigel in the process (because Nigel deserves more action, dammit). Yes, he truly is annoying… ly quick at the uptake. Will contain OOC-ness from Miranda, because that's what siblings do to you. Slash and Femslash, based entirely on the movie, since I have read the book (before it became hyped) and thought it sucked. Slight AU, obviously, Andy didn't leave in Paris.

**Disclaimer: **Only Maxwell and the plot are mine, everything you recognize belongs to other people.

**A/N: **Yes, I'm later with this update than I'd predicted. I got a virus on my laptop, which is the only computer where writing fics goes really well and there was general business, and of course there's vacation which means I have like zero rhythm... and it's shorter than I'd planned, but I'll include the rest I was thinking of in the next chapter so you guys don't have to wait any longer. Enjoy it, anyway.

* * *

Phantom was great, but during the entire show all Andy had been able to think about were Max' words. Miranda liked her, that's what he'd said. The only problem was that he'd ever so conveniently left out the way in which she was liked.

Right now they were sitting in a small café Andy had discovered during one of her many assignments from Miranda. Andrea was idly wondering how she could get the information she wanted from Maxwell without giving off the wrong impression. That could happen no matter which angle she took. If Miranda LIKED her, liked her and she asked in a distant way, Max might think she wasn't interested. If she acted interested and Miranda wasn't… well, she really didn't want to think about that right now.

Maxwell was doodling on a napkin (yes, there were PAPER napkins here) with a red pen and other than an occasional glance didn't seem to be paying her all that much attention. Frankly, he appeared to be lost in a little world of his own. After a while Andy gave up her pondering and settled for not discovering the meaning behind the man's words just yet.

"Andy, could you please tilt your head just a little bit to the side?" Andrea complied without thinking and Max took out another pen to continue drawing… whatever it was. Some more silent minutes a sort of triumphant grunt erupted from Max, Andy looked up to find him beaming at her. "All done!"

Miranda looked down at the napkin as it was pushed towards her. The drawing was really quite good… the centre-piece was a red shoe, its heel was shaped like a devil's trident, but that wasn't it's most striking feature. Oh no, those were the faces. Andy recognized herself, Nigel, Miranda and Emily… every single one was very accurate, especially since Maxwell had only met three of the four that day.

"Wow, Max! This looks great! You have a real talent." The blonde chuckled. "I should hope so. This IS my job, after all." This was new information to Andy. "Really? You're an artist?" To her surprise Max laughed. "That's what Storm would call it… I'm a comic book artist. I mainly work for Marvel… X-Men, Spiderman, Wolverine, basically everything that has varying artists. Plus, I do some more er… adult material… on the side. Speaking of which, you should really check out the ba…"

Before he got a chance to finish his sentence Andy's phone rang. It was Miranda.

"Hello, Miranda?"

"Get my brother over to the twins' school to pick them up, they'll want to see their uncle now he's in town. That's all."

This was the entire conversation. Yes, she was obviously just crazy about Andrea… though, she had to admit, there was once again an explanation of sorts included.

"Come on, Max, we're going to see your nieces." Andy got up and took the napkin. "Mind if I keep this?" Once again the man laughed. "Of course, just don't forget to…" But Andrea was already halfway out the door, used to hurrying whenever Miranda told her to do something. Maxwell was left no other option but to rush out after her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** A Storm Of Temptation (3/?)

**Author: **Slashydutchie

**Rating: **R

**Pairing: **Miranda/Andy, Nigel/OMC

**Genre: **Humor/Romance

**Summary: **Miranda's annoying little brother (from her perspective anyway) decides to drop by for a month or so. In the process he manages to bring his sister and her assistant a Hell of a lot closer and falls for Nigel in the process (because Nigel deserves more action, dammit). Yes, he truly is annoying… ly quick at the uptake. Will contain OOC-ness from Miranda, because that's what siblings do to you. Slash and Femslash, based entirely on the movie, since I have read the book (before it became hyped) and thought it sucked. Slight AU, obviously, Andy didn't leave in Paris.

**Disclaimer: **Only Maxwell and the plot are mine, everything you recognize belongs to other people.

**A/N: **So yeah... this is getting picked up again after FAR too long without activity. Also moved to this more appropriate category from Misc. Films

* * *

Maxwell didn't get much of a chance to recover from the rather sudden and rushed trip. They'd barely made it to the school when the bell rang, prompting a small tidal wave of children to pour out of the building the second the doors opened.

Andrea mentally braced herself for another encounter with the demanding brats she knew Miranda's children to be. Not that she had really met them after their little trick the first night she'd come to deliver The Book, the Harry Potter manuscripts had after all been handed off to their nanny, but all of the errands she'd been made to run for the girls by their mother had made up her mind on the matter quite well.

It was a bit of a surprise when, accompanied by a twin shout of "Uncle Max!" Caroline and Cassidy both threw themselves into the laughing blonde's waiting arms, clinging on as if they feared the man might disappear at any moment.

"Well, well... if it isn't my favorite spawn of Satan," he said with a fond chuckle, sinking down onto one knee and hugging both girls tightly.

"Don't call mommy the Devil," Cassidy objected against his right shoulder, but without any real sign she'd been hurt by the remark.

"Yeah, what would that make you?" Caroline added from the left, drawing another laugh from her uncle.

Andrea couldn't help but notice Maxwell's laugh. It was full and rich and made his eyes sparkle with mirth. It gave her goosebumps and a fluttery feeling in her stomach that was quite promptly replaced by a ton of bricks when she realized the only reason it affected her like that was because his eyes were so much like Miranda's... except that her eyes often seemed to lack that warmth and happiness so easily found in her brother's. If she recalled the Bible classes she'd once received, the Devil's younger brother would be an angel. Somehow it all seemed rather unfair. Realizing she'd zoned out a bit, Andy's attention snapped back to the present right in time to see that Max had apparently forgone a Biblical discussion with two eleven-year-olds and had pulled two wrapped gifts out of his bag.

"It's the latest from this season's DMM collection," he declared proudly, making the girls grin with obvious, strangely mischievous delight.

"DMM?" Andy echoed, fixing the man with a puzzled look. She thought she'd heard of every designer and brand by now, but this had never been mentioned. Max raised an eyebrow at her that once again demonstrated his genetic stock before turning to the twins.

"What do you think, girls? She seems okay to me so far."

"Andy's cool," Caroline replied absent-mindedly while tearing into her present with surprising care. "She got us the new Harry Potter."

"Yeah," her sister nodded. "And mom likes her."

Max nodded and grinned at Andrea. "Then it is decided. I will have to swear you to utmost secrecy on the penalty of running around with underpants over your head at a gala while shouting 'I am the underwear dinosaur, rawr! All fear my frilly knickerpower!'. Do you accept?"

"Uh, yeah, sure..." Andy replied, rather flabbergasted.

"Excellent!" Maxwell stood up and looked around as if he expected a small army of spies and/or ninja's. When none of those seemed to turn up, he leaned towards Andrea and whispered; "DMM stands for 'Drive Mom (or Miranda) Mad'."

Andrea tried to choke back her laughter, but all attempts were rendered ineffective when both girls giggled with glee while producing child-sized football jerseys.

Maybe the twins weren't so bad after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** A Storm Of Temptation (4/?)

**Author: **Slashydutchie

**Rating: **R

**Pairing: **Miranda/Andy, Nigel/OMC

**Genre: **Humor/Romance

**Summary: **Miranda's annoying little brother (from her perspective anyway) decides to drop by for a month or so. In the process he manages to bring his sister and her assistant a Hell of a lot closer and falls for Nigel in the process (because Nigel deserves more action, dammit). Yes, he truly is annoying… ly quick at the uptake. Will contain OOC-ness from Miranda, because that's what siblings do to you. Slash and Femslash, based entirely on the movie, since I have read the book (before it became hyped) and thought it sucked. Slight AU, obviously, Andy didn't leave in Paris.

**Disclaimer: **Only Maxwell and the plot are mine, everything you recognize belongs to other people.

* * *

Somehow they'd made it back to the townhouse, no thanks to the two kids and the full grown man who was really proving himself to be little better than them in the mischief department. Well, actually, Maxwell was a lot better in the mischief department than the twins were. He had years of experience and apparently considered it his duty as an uncle to pass on his vast knowledge to his nieces and, now that she'd been recruited into the fold of DMM, Andy was not exempt from this masterclass.

It had been strangely liberating and fun to spend some time goofing off, so much so that Andrea had more often than not forgotten that she was dealing with three people of Priestly stock until the inevitable moments where one of them would do something that in her mind was so _Miranda _that she couldn't help but think of her boss, regardless of whether it was something as tiny as Cassidy pursing her lips in mild displeasure or something as blatant and quite frankly frightening as Max delighting the girls with a perfect if satirical impression of his sister in full Ice Queen mode.

It was a good thing it was Roy who finally dropped them off at Miranda's house, any other driver might have questioned their combined sanity as apparently random words reduced them into fits of laughter. Clearly Miranda's long-time personal driver _had _met Maxwell before. Andy couldn't help but note the softness in the normally already mild eyes in the rear-view mirror. For all his boyishness and lack of subtlety, she had by now decided that Max was probably a good guy and the way his presence seemed to please Roy only helped solidify that idea, even if it was rather strange to see the two men exchange a fistbump after the driver wordlessly handed the blonde a plain brown paper bag before driving off.

"Okay, guys… I guess I'll be leaving you to your own devices, then," Andy said with some regret, though a smile broke through as she watched a clearly happy Maxwell fish a New York Red Bulls shirt out of the bag Roy had handed him. He promptly donned it.

"No, please don't go yet, Andrea!" Caroline piped up. "We want to watch a movie with Uncle Max… can you make us some popcorn?" There was a short pause. "Please?"

Well, nobody could claim the kid had been raised by wolves and dragons were rarely accused of lacking manners. "I'm sure your uncle can-"

"No, he can't," the girl interjected.

"Mom won't let him use the machine anymore," Cassidy elaborated when her sister showed no intention of doing so. "Not after _last_ time."

Maxwell had the decency to look embarrassed. It was oddly endearing and leant instant validity to the girls' claims. Relenting, Andrea nodded and took off her coat. "Fine, I'll make you guys some popcorn, but after that I really have to get back to work."

An hour and a half later she was sitting in a pile of pillows in front of the couch in the media room with three Priestlys in football shirts, watching the end of The Princess Bride. The twins had snuggled up with their uncle and appeared on the verge of sleep, but every single time Andy had tried to leave they'd come up with some excuse or request that kept her there. It wasn't at all unpleasant, even if it was a little strange.

"Okay, I really have to go now." As the credits rolled, Andy made a move to get up once again, but immediately two little heads shot up.

"No! You haven't had Uncle Max' hot cocoa yet! You can't leave before you try it, it's the best!" Cassidy implored, nudging her sister.

"Yeah, come on, Andrea! One cup won't hurt," Caroline agreed and before any objections could be made the twins had dashed off to the kitchen, leaving a baffled Andy and a laughing Maxwell behind.

"They mean well, you know?" he pointed out as he got up, stretching. "They enjoy your company, so they come up with new stuff for you to do to keep you around. It's the Priestly way." He winked at her. "Besides, my hot chocolate really _is _divine. That's how my sister learned to drink scalding hot beverages…" Max paused, chuckling at the memory of his impatient sister. "And if she can't sympathise, I'll tell her I force-fed you."

With a final laugh the man went to chase after his nieces, oblivious to the fact that Andy had stopped listening halfway through.

'_They enjoy your company, so they come up with new stuff for you to do to keep you around. It's the Priestly way.'_

Did that apply to _all _Priestlys?


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** A Storm Of Temptation (5/?)  
**Author: **Slashydutchie

**Rating: **R  
**Pairing: **Miranda/Andy, Nigel/OMC  
**Genre: **Humor/Romance

**Summary: **Miranda's annoying little brother (from her perspective anyway) decides to drop by for a month or so. In the process he manages to bring his sister and her assistant a Hell of a lot closer and falls for Nigel in the process (because Nigel deserves more action, dammit). Yes, he truly is annoying… ly quick at the uptake. Will contain OOC-ness from Miranda, because that's what siblings do to you. Slash and Femslash, based entirely on the movie, since I have read the book (before it became hyped) and thought it sucked. Slight AU, obviously, Andy didn't leave in Paris.

**Disclaimer: **Only Maxwell and the plot are mine, everything you recognize belongs to other people.

**A/N: **Just updating with a short one now because it felt like a good chapter ending. Will probably write the next chapter after lunch.

* * *

"Fine, I'll admit it. This is the best hot chocolate I've ever had."

Andrea also had to admit, if only to herself, that the twins really weren't such bad kids after all. The way Cassidy's face lit up at this little 'confession' even bordered on the adorable, though it was balanced out quite well by Caroline's expression. Andy could almost hear the unspoken 'Well, _of course_ it is.', be it in Miranda's voice rather than her daughter's.

Right on cue there was the sound of the front door opening and closing, immediately followed by the gentle clacking of heels in the hallway.

"Maxwell, that had better be the smell of your hot chocolate or I shall be very upset!"

Even as the twins ran off with shouts of "Mom!", Andy found herself doubting whether it was truly Miranda who had uttered those words, because she could have sworn it sounded as if the woman wanted some of the delicious, but doubtlessly fattening beverage. Maxwell, for his part, just chuckled and poured another big mug before walking out of the kitchen, holding it in one hand while sipping his own.

"Of course it is, Storm… wouldn't let you go without!"

"Good, because after the embarrassment you put me through at work today I deserve it. Not to mention what you have done to my children."

Maxwell's laughter brought Andy back to her senses, the domesticity of the banter making her feel like a massive intruder, even if it was strangely pleasant to catch these odd moments of humanity from her usually so reserved boss. She had to get out of here, now. Trouble was, she'd have to get her things, which meant she had to somehow sneak past Miranda.

Andrea tiptoed into the hallway only to see Miranda running her free hand through her brother's hair as she held her mug of hot chocolate in the other. "Look at the state of you. After all of Nigel's hard work…"

Max shrugged, but although Andy could only see his back she was almost sure he'd stood just a bit straighter at the mention of Nigel's name. "Well, he'll have to try harder next time."

"Next time, hm?" Miranda's tone was teasing and Andrea could only stand there and listen in bafflement. "And what makes you think I'll let a senior member of my staff waste his precious time on salvaging your style yet again?"

"Well, you love me?" Maxwell grinned, but then deflated and spoke with the tone of a man addressing his executioner. "And I'll let you cut my hair."

Andy didn't have to look at Miranda's face to know her shark smile was in place. "Deal. Girls, go get my things… your uncle is getting a haircut."

"Can't Andrea get them? She's your assistant," Caroline said with a nod in Andy's direction.

Maxwell turned to look at her and suddenly Andrea found herself in the full attention of four sets of Priestly-blue eyes. She gulped. Miranda's expression had turned into something unreadable as her assistant inched along with her back to the wall and a very nervous smile in place, as if she expected to be pounced upon and devoured any second.

"Actually, I was just… leaving..." Upon Miranda's curt nod, Andrea grabbed her coat and bag before sprinting out of the door. As she did so, something fluttered to the floor.

"Tell me, Storm… are all your assistants this high-strung or is this one special?" Max asked his sister after the door had slammed shut.

Miranda, meanwhile, bent down to snatch up the napkin Andrea had dropped, a slow grin spreading over her face as she inspected the side Andy had never seen.

"Both."


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** A Storm Of Temptation (6/?)  
**Author: **Slashydutchie

**Rating: **R  
**Pairing: **Miranda/Andy, Nigel/OMC  
**Genre: **Humor/Romance

**Summary: **Miranda's annoying little brother (from her perspective anyway) decides to drop by for a month or so. In the process he manages to bring his sister and her assistant a Hell of a lot closer and falls for Nigel in the process (because Nigel deserves more action, dammit). Yes, he truly is annoying… ly quick at the uptake. Will contain OOC-ness from Miranda, because that's what siblings do to you. Slash and Femslash, based entirely on the movie, since I have read the book (before it became hyped) and thought it sucked. Slight AU, obviously, Andy didn't leave in Paris.

**Disclaimer: **Only Maxwell and the plot are mine, everything you recognize belongs to other people.

* * *

With the girls finally in bed Miranda found herself curled up on the couch, her younger brother's strong arms draped around her as she absent-mindedly stroked his now much more acceptable hair. Out of all the men in her life, Maxwell was by far the one she was closest to. Even her husbands hadn't been able to achieve the level of emotional intimacy she shared with her brother. She couldn't even imagine sitting like this with Stephen, just quietly taking comfort in his presence. And the girls… the girls had been tired after an evening with their uncle, tired and happy and talkative and full of mischief. It was glorious.

Miranda knew her latest divorce had taken its toll on her children, just as it had on her, but just like her they'd tried to soldier on without showing any of the hurt to the world or even each other. And just like with her, Maxwell would come in with his smiles and his pranks and his wrecking ball manners and shatter the shields before they'd even truly noticed it, bringing back some laughter and warmth. Not to mention hope.

A single tear escaped Miranda's eye, but before she had a chance to react her brother had already wiped it away. She looked at him with a grateful, tired smile and had to clear her throat a few times before speaking.

"I'm glad you're here."

Andrea was less lucky. Her apartment lacked someone safe, someone she could fall apart with if necessary. And boy, was it necessary now. Even her attempts at sleep did nothing to reassure her and by the time she'd arrived at Runway Andy had herself convinced Miranda would fire her the second she came in for what she'd witnessed the night before. After all, nobody at work had any right to know that the Dragon Lady was capable of homeliness.

"Stop fidgeting!" Emily hissed, clearly fed up before the day had even properly started. Any reply Andrea could have made was cut off when Nigel walked in, unsuccessfully trying to look nonchalant as he leaned against Andy's desk.

"How are things here, Six?" he asked when a quick glance at the glass doors proved Miranda's office to be empty.

"Oh, fine… just fine… except that I'm going to get fired, if Miranda doesn't kill me first!" Andy tried to control her breathing while Emily rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I doubt she'd kill you, nobody here is strong enough to hide the body," snarked the ever-helpful first assistant before returning her attention to Miranda's schedule for the day.

Now it was Nigel's turn to roll his eyes. "Honestly, Andrea, I doubt it's that bad. What happened this time?"

"Well, I was at the townhouse, with Max and the twins and we'd watched a film and he'd made hot chocolate and Miranda arrived. I didn't know, they'd asked me to stay and insisted on the hot chocolate and when she got there he went over and she was commenting on his hair and I had to leave, but they were in the hallway and then Caroline spotted me and they just… just looked at me like that!" Andy finished in a near-panic.

Nigel sighed and fixed her with a level stare.

"So Miranda is going to fire and/or kill you for watching a film and drinking hot chocolate?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"And for seeing her with her brother!" Andrea added, still panicked, before the _Look _her friend was giving her truly sank in. "Well… she's fired people for less," she said quietly.

Nigel snorted. "True as that may be, Six… I think you're safe for now."

Andrea gave her friend a grateful look. As always, Nigel had provided some perspective. Nevertheless, the sudden flurry of activity signaling Miranda's imminent arrival made her jump. The art director, for his part, was trying not to look too hopeful as he kept an eye on the door. Soon enough, Miranda swept in, followed by a distinctly less sweeping Maxwell.

The editor in chief of Runway looked spectacular as always, her blouse the lightest of greens, accompanied by a simple but stunning black skirt and a white coat. Max was still wearing the jeans and shoes Nigel had picked out for him, but had gone with the football shirt Roy had provided instead of the shirt and jacket that originally belonged to the outfit. A small saving grace was that Miranda had apparently managed to convince her brother to wear a coat that managed to pull everything together. And then there was the hair. Maxwell's shorter, much-improved hair. Clearly Miranda knew her way around a pair of scissors… and most likely razorblades as well, considering that her brother's somewhat scruffy stubble had disappeared in favor of a more clean-shaven look.

Dumping her coat and bag on Emily's desk, Miranda looked over to Nigel. "You know what to do," she said with a nod towards Max. "Afterwards, I want to see both of you in my office."

"Yes, Miranda!" A visibly delighted Nigel took Maxwell by the arm and proceeded to steer him out of the office and towards the closet. The younger Priestly offered some token resistance, but truly didn't seem to mind much.

Just as Andrea was about to relax in the knowledge that she'd get to keep her job, at least for now, Miranda's voice drifted in from the office.

"Ahn-draya?"

Resigning herself to her fate, the second assistant took a deep, steadying breath before heading into the office. "Yes, Miranda?"

"Go get a Caramel Macchiato for Maxwell."

Stunned that this was apparently the only thing her boss wanted after last night, Andrea nodded dumbly and turned, only to be stopped by Miranda's voice again. "Oh, and Ahn-draya?"

Andy turned around again, fearing the worst.

"Add it to the standing daily coffee order," Miranda said with what Andrea for one second thought were the beginnings of a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** A Storm Of Temptation (7/?)  
**Author: **Slashydutchie

**Rating: **R  
**Pairing: **Miranda/Andy, Nigel/OMC  
**Genre: **Humor/Romance

**Summary: **Miranda's annoying little brother (from her perspective anyway) decides to drop by for a month or so. In the process he manages to bring his sister and her assistant a Hell of a lot closer and falls for Nigel in the process (because Nigel deserves more action, dammit). Yes, he truly is annoying… ly quick at the uptake. Will contain OOC-ness from Miranda, because that's what siblings do to you. Slash and Femslash, based entirely on the movie, since I have read the book (before it became hyped) and thought it sucked. Slight AU, obviously, Andy didn't leave in Paris.

**Disclaimer: **Only Maxwell and the plot are mine, everything you recognize belongs to other people.

**A/N: **Don't worry, Mirandy bits will come soon. The downside of bringing in an OC is that you've got to establish them in the world.

* * *

As Andrea returned to the office with Maxwell's coffee, she noticed a large group of people in Miranda's office. "Em, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure, right after you left Miranda told me to call a meeting. Now hurry up with that coffee, everyone important is in there," Emily hissed, clearly stressed from having to corral all senior Runway staff at such short notice. Andy opted to just nod and walked into the office right in time to hear Miranda say: "Graphic novels."

This was rather strange, but Andrea had a job to do and looked around the room, quickly spotting Maxwell who was standing next to Nigel. She took a moment to appreciate the latest makeover, a light blue short-sleeved shirt, a black denim waistcoat, matching jeans and dark blue Emporio Armani shoes, before making her way over to them. She tried not to disturb anyone listening to Miranda, who was for some reason praising the stylistic choices made in graphic novels, accompanied by a slideshow.

"Thanks Andy," Max whispered as he accepted his coffee, shooting the girl a smile.

"And that is why..." Miranda's voice suddenly seemed more clear than usual. Apparently the fashion queen had made a grand decision and Andy decided to stay put to hear it for herself rather than to try and pick her way through the breathless listeners.

"I am ever so grateful that my dear brother Maxwell has agreed to temporarily join our staff so he can assist the art department in incorporating this stunning visual style in our next issue," Miranda finished smoothly, aiming her famous shark smile directly at the younger Priestly.

Even as the polite applause started, Andrea could tell that Max had only just been notified that he had apparently agreed to anything. He pulled himself together quite swiftly and admirably, but the drop of Caramel Macchiato running down his chin as he smiled and nodded was a bit of a giveaway of what his initial reaction had been. Before he had a chance to do or say anything, Miranda continued.

"It was after all he who provided the inspiration with this stunning piece of artwork." There was a click as the next image appeared.

To her credit, Andrea didn't scream or faint. She just stood there, pale as a sheet.

"Six... is that _you?_" Nigel said softly, being the first of their little group of three to find his voice.

It was.

There was the drawing Andy hadn't seen. The one on the back of the napkin. The one she had lost when fleeing the Priestly residence. It was just a sketch... but it was a sketch of her. Her, standing on Miranda's desk dressed as Catwoman. The editor in chief was only shown from the back, but the distinctive haircut made her identity quite clear. Still, it was probably a good thing that there was no face to show just what that Miranda thought of Catwoman Andrea using her whip on some perfectly innocent dresses.

"Mhm," Andy squeaked, shooting Maxwell a desperate glance.

All Max could offer was a look that quite clearly stated that he didn't have any prior knowledge of this either, let alone that it had been his intention when he'd first made the sketch, before his sister dismissed everyone in the room with a simple: "That's all."


End file.
